Automobile AI

In 1984, a year made famous by George Orwell in his novel by the same name, a new dystopian future was
introduced in the movie “Terminator”.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is a time-traveling cyborg sent back to assassinate a
woman who could prevent a future where machines gain sentience and enslave
humanity. 34 years later, we have nearly approached that future, according
to tech expert Elon Musk.

We are becoming more familiar with home applications of Artificial
Intelligence through products like Amazon’s Alexa, our phones (“Hey Google”
and “Hey Siri”), but one of the places that AI has really been growing has
been in our vehicles. We have multiple applications today in our vehicles.
Here are just a few of the ways that Artificial Intelligence is changing
the way we drive.

Driver-Assist Features

Drivers come in all types and skill sets. Some drive too fast, others drive
too slow. Some drive just fine but get lost in unfamiliar territory.
Driver-Assist features are ways that AI is used to help all of these
different kinds of drivers. Some examples of these features are collision
avoidance systems, automatic braking, alerts for pedestrians, cyclists, and
cross-traffic, as well as intelligent cruise control. That is just the
beginning.

Cars without Drivers

The autopilot car was a dream from the 1970’s that failed to gain momentum,
until today. Now, with minicomputers, GPS systems, and AI, self-driving
vehicles are about to become a reality. Google and Tesla Corporations are
taking the lead in creating automated cars. After millions of dollars and
hours in R&D, they have put test vehicles out on the road and are
making their way to the marketplace.

Tesla
says they are ready now. They are waiting for approval of regulations and
software validation, and then they will switch their cars over to
driverless mode. Uber has entered the competition as well. They have plans
to build a fully automated fleet of Volvo XC90
SUV’s. They plan to make the Uber driver extinct in Pittsburg, PA
where the first test drives will be made.

Cloud-Based Intelligence

Cloud technology is changing our lives, and the automobile industry is
ready to connect in as well. Many companies are looking at available
partnership options, including GM and IBM. How can cloud technology enhance
our driving through AI? The same way our phones are already working to do
for us. Imagine cars that could locate gas stations and allow you to pay
from inside your vehicle. They could notify you of restaurants that matched
criteria similar to your favorite eating places. They could give you paying
options, send you reminders about your schedule, household items you need
when you pass stores that sell them and pre-ordering food as you approach a
restaurant. The Skynet is the limit.

Additional Benefits

Some of these innovations really do seem like computers are taking over the
world. However, some could be a considerable headache relief and even life
savers.

With internet access and cloud connection, manufacturer updates for
software could be done remotely instead of at the dealer’s garage. Not only
that, information could be fed and assessed by the cloud to help warn you
when you have potential problems before you suffer a catastrophic engine
failure, and perhaps get into a wreck, damaging your car and suffering
injury yourself. Your mileage could be automatically uploaded to your
employers along with refueling costs. Manufacturers would be able to update
their models better with data coming in from all drivers. Perhaps most
important is the possibility of your car being able to summon medical
emergency help if the driver becomes unresponsive. How many more lives do
you think could be saved by cars preventing accidents caused by their
drivers, and getting them the medical help they need when they are unable
to drive themselves to the hospital? Additionally, V2V (vehicle to vehicle)
technology will soon allow your car to communicate with other connected
vehicles on the road, preventing accidents from occurring at all.

Is putting AI into the driver’s seat of your car a price worth paying for
safer roads? The jury is still out on that. This can be certain though: AI
is coming to a vehicle near you.